Transaldolase 1 is a key enzyme of the nonoxidative pentose phosphate pathway providing ribose-5-phosphate for nucleic acid synthesis and NADPH for lipid biosynthesis. This pathway can also maintain glutathione at a reduced state and thus protect sulfhydryl groups and cellular integrity from oxygen radicals. The functional gene of transaldolase 1 is located on chromosome 11 and a pseudogene is identified on chromosome 1 but there are conflicting map locations. The second and third exon of this gene were developed by insertion of a retrotransposable element. This gene is thought to be involved in multiple sclerosis. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].
Banki, Eddy, Shows, Halladay, Bullrich, Croce, Jurecic, Baldini, Perl: "The human transaldolase gene (TALDO1) is located on chromosome 11 at p15.4-p15.5." in: Genomics, Vol. 45, Issue 1, pp. 233-8, (1997) (PubMed).
Banki, Halladay, Perl: "Cloning and expression of the human gene for transaldolase. A novel highly repetitive element constitutes an integral part of the coding sequence." in: The Journal of biological chemistry, Vol. 269, Issue 4, pp. 2847-51, (1994) (PubMed).